Conversation
by Trevor the Enchanter
Summary: G'Kar confronts Sinclair in his quarters. Takes place after "Midnight on the Firing Line".


A note: I mention a First Contact in 2012, which isn't the Centauri. What it is I'm hoping to explore more in a story that's in the planning stages. If anyone wants to know what they were, PM me.

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"So… have you come to carry out your threat?" Jeffrey Sinclair asked as he observed G'Kar enter his quarters. He had enough experiences with other races to know that Narns in particular rarely made idle threat and thus, his guard was up. Sinclair dearly hoped he would not have to use his weapon to kill him, and spark a diplomatic incident.

But G'Kar had made no effort to charge towards him. "Do not think it did not occur to me after such an insult." He warned. "Were you Narn, there is only one way such a dispute would be settled." Unless he was badly mistaken, though, that was confusion that Sinclair had read off his facial features. "However, I do recognize you as a formidable warrior, and whatever the outcome, it would sour relations between our two powers, which neither of us needs."

"If you're not here to avenge the insult, then what are you doing here?" Sinclair's eyes still watched him with suspicion. He relaxed slightly, but not completely.

"There are a couple of questions I want answered." G'Kar admitted. "First of all, I would have expected you of all races to be willing to support us in our struggle against the Centauri. Not only are they a definite threat, but not so long ago, humanity was standing where we stood. You stood on the edge of extinction ten of your years ago. Surely you would want revenge against the Minbari?"

"Such actions would only make things worse and lead to bloodshed in the long run." It was a practiced answer coming from him. The question had been asked by him many times, by humans and aliens alike.

"Come now, commander: I know you better than that." G'Kar refused to accept that answer. "Moreover, I know your race better than that to take such a claim at face value. Tell me, you have truly never fantasized about revenge? I believe they killed over 100 million humans in your two year conflict, and were moments away from exterminating humanity when they surrendered. Why they did so is a mystery that nobody has been able to solve."

"You are right in that aspect: there are many who would be happy to take revenge if they believed they could get away with it." Sinclair did not know why he was admitting this to G'Kar, but went on. "We know better than most how satisfying revenge can be… and what price it ultimately extracts. No. Even if I had the power and ability to do so, I would not seek revenge."

"You are quite a puzzle, Commander." G'Kar rubbed his chin in thought. "I've overheard many of your kind discussing such revenge- yes, I speak your language quite well- and only fear and respect for their military prowess holds them back. Yet you were on the Line, ready to give your life in a hopeless battle, but you do not want revenge." G'Kar looked at him carefully, but there was no hint of deception from him.

"I've had ten years to come to terms with it, and what could have happened to all of us." Sinclair sighed, more open with the Narn Ambassador about the topic than he was to anyone save his family. Humanity had changed since the Earth-Minbari War, generally for the worse. The time between first contact and the war had been an age of optimism and exploration, despite the many conflicts and difficulties. Now, though… humanity had become far more suspicious of aliens and viewed the galaxy with far more distrusting eyes. "It was not an easy task, but I did. You could do the same."

"Never!" G'Kar screamed. "You speak to me of forgiving the Centauri?! Those who burned my planet, enslaved my people, killed my father and grandparents?! You expect me to forgive that?!"

"No, G'Kar, I don't expect you to forgive that." Sinclair cut him off before he could really get going. "I am fully aware of how difficult true forgiveness is. I'm merely pointing out that revenge only leads to more misery in the end." In his darker moments, he still hated the Minbari. It was a struggle he admitted to no one and it had become easier with time, but every so often, a flash of hatred built in his mind whenever he was forced to interact with them. "What do you know of our history?"

"I confess not much; I am no historian of alien cultures." G'Kar informed him. He had calmed down slightly, but was still deeply offended of even the idea of reconciliation with the Centauri, the people Narn had pledged to destroy.

"Humanity has among the bloodiest histories in the galaxy, save for the Dilgar." It was shameful to admit, but he hoped that Earth had risen above it… and would not throw away what they had achieved. "What I told you about sneak attacks was only the beginning… Barbarossa, Pearl Harbor, September 11th, the South China Sea, invasion of Siberia, an attack on Argentina, the San Diego attack; the examples are countless.

"You know… the Narn remind me very much of an Earth nation that was once in a very similar position." G'Kar had stopped speaking, listening intently to what Sinclair had to say. "A proud people that had fallen into decline, carved up, exploited, and stolen from by powers that they could not defend against. For a hundred years, they suffered this humiliation, and it concluded with a war that left twenty million of their people dead.

"About 240 of our years ago, they felt the time was right. They launched an attack that was the opening shot of the Second World War… of Third, depending on which historian you listen to. Their motivations were numerous from a desire to become a superpower, a need to capture farmland to feed their enormous population, but most of all, revenge. They had been humiliated for far too long and that was going to end.

"Few saw it coming, and even fewer believed the attack would be as successful as it was. There was hope that shortly after First Contact in 2012, humanity would unite, but that didn't last long. What followed was the bloodiest war in human history; a five-year bloodbath claiming, at the most conservative estimate, a billion lives. Perhaps as many as 1.5 billion would ultimately die from the war and its aftereffects."

"What's the point of this story?" G'Kar demanded.

"They got what they wanted." Sinclair explained. "They took their revenge, nearly become the world's dominant power, hurt their enemies in ways they scarcely imagined. A genocide was committed against one of our island nations on a scale humanity had never seen before, or since. And what did it get them in the end? Nothing. Nothing but shame and misery and destruction."

"No matter what, I refuse to allow the Centauri to exist!" G'Kar snarled, tempted for a moment to carry out his threat in spite of everything. "They can't be allowed! They can't be allowed to enslave my people again, to butcher us in our beds, to kill us for amusement! My childhood was a spectacle for their cruelty! It will not happen again, not ever!"

Now Sinclair had gained a deeper understanding. Underneath the burning hatred of the Centauri was fear, fear that they would once again end up under the Centauri. "We freed ourselves barely more than fifty of your years ago!" G'Kar continued. "No matter what it takes, we will free ourselves of them!"

"And once you wipe out the Centauri, then what?" Sinclair asked simply. "Will you do as they did and build and interstellar empire of your own?" He was sure G'Kar did not know this, but the Centauri had a very similar history of being subjugated by an invader with superior strength; he was certain the Narn would be furious to hear this.

"I… I do not know." G'Kar was forced to confess. "Once we are safe, once we are free of the threat of Centauri domination, what does it matter?"

"It's something to consider, at least if your people want to achieve something greater than just becoming no different than you fought against." Sinclair warned. "If anyone understands your people, G'Kar, we do. Human history is littered with cycles of revenge, the bloodbaths that result, the genocides we have committed in the past. Yet because of that blood-drenched history, we have learned better; we will not fall into that trap again… or so I dearly hope." There were many people, including those he considered friends, that spoke very similar words towards the Minbari. Before the war, anti-alien organizations had been relatively few in number and power, but after the entire human race had been put through a mock execution, such groups were gaining influence everywhere.

The Minbari endured the brunt of that hatred, for there was still fear that they would resume the genocide… and not entirely without reason, for some in the Warrior Caste would happily restart the war on the slightest provocation. But other aliens faced some of the anger as well, mostly for abandoning them in their time of need after they had sacrificed so much to stop the Dilgar. Sinclair heard these mutterings constantly; even when there was not open hatred, there was still a strong feeling of betrayal.

"I won't ask you to forgive anyone, G'Kar." Sinclair concluded. "You're the only one who can ultimately make that decision. What I am suggesting is as simple as considering a different path. There's much you could do to make our section of the galaxy a better place."

I… I will consider your words, Commander." G'Kar relented. "But do not ask me to forgive those who have caused me and my entire people so much pain." With no further words, he departed, lost in thought.

Once the conversation was over, Sinclair collapsed to his bed and sighed. He knew it was quite possible that G'Kar had already dismissed his words, but hoped that at least some of the message got through. _He can learn; I did._ Sinclair thought. When the war was over, he despised the Minbari more than he previously imagined he could hate anyone. In his darker moments, those thoughts still wandered into his head. He succeeded in forgiving them, though. Whether G'Kar could do the same… only time would tell.

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I thought this was a missing piece to the first episode and an interesting addition that could have been included. Hopefully, I managed to capture the feeling of Babylon 5 and keep them both in character. Reviews are always quite welcome.


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